Selecting door locks is a minefield. You want to choose the right type of door locks that will be high quality and durable to keep your house secure. You will want the locks to suit the character and age of your home too.  Yet, it is often difficult because of the numerous terminologies used to describe locks, none of which are intuitive. So, here is the ultimate guide that will help you navigate through the confusion.

• Night latches
• Mortice deadlocks - Manual
• Mortice deadlocks - Automatic
• Mortice sash deadlocks
• Multipoint locks

In this blog, we list five types of door lock commonly, explain how they work and list their pros and cons. We will help you to choose the perfect door lock to protect your house and your loved ones.

And if you still need help, checkout our recommendations for each type or call us and we’ll make a personalised recommendation. 

1. Night Latches

A night latch (also known as a 'Yale lock') is commonly used for wooden front or back doors. It is typically fitted on the inner surface of the door and regularly used in conjunction with another lock, typically a mortice deadbolt. There are four types of night latch.

Standard night latch Latch is lockable from inside	Deadlocking night latch Latch is lockable from both sides	Auto deadlock night latch Latch automatically locks	Auto deadbolt night latch Bolt automatically locks

 

How do night latches work?

Night latches have a spring-loaded latch that keeps the door closed. They are operated from the outside using a key and from the inside via a handle that you push firmly down or twist.

1. A standard night latch has a latch that can be opened from the outside with the key. Then at night, if the snib button is pushed up, the latch is locked in position and cannot be unlocked from the outside with a key.
2. A deadlocking night latch is the same as a standard night latch, except you can turn the key on the outside one full turn that will lock the latch in the closed position. You will not be able to open the lock from the inside as the handle will be disabled.
3. An auto-deadlocking night latch deadlocks the latch automatically when the door is shut. Some models allow the inside handle to be locked in position with a key such that a key is required to unlock the handle to exit.
4. An auto deadbolt night latch is a high-security lock that has a bolt rather than a latch that deadbolts automatically when the door is shut.

Pros & Cons

1. Pro: Night latches are easy to use and shut behind you.
2. Pro: The snib can lock the night latch in the open position: handy when you are popping back in and out and you do not want the door to lock.
3. Con: A standard night latch is not sufficient on its own. Fit with a mortice manual or automatic deadbolt
4. Con: With standard and deadlock night latches, people often misperceive the door as locked when in reality it is just shut. Whilst it is possible to lock the latch in position on a deadlocking night latch, this requires the user to be in the habit of manually locking it every time.
5. Con: If a key is used to deadlock the night latch, it is possible to lock someone in.

Recommendation

An automatic deadbolt night latch combines high-security and convenience.   The door automatically deadbolts when closed but it is always possible to exit without a key in an emergency.  Shop Auto-Deadbolt Nightlatch

 2. Mortice Deadlocks - Manual

A mortice deadlock (also known as a mortice deadbolt), is usually recessed into the edge of front or back doors and used in conjunction with a night latch. A mortice deadlock can also be used on its own, particularly on doors you want to be locked at all times.

 

Mortice deadlock with lever Key used for entry & exit	Mortice deadlock with euro cylinder key Key used for entry & exit	Mortice deadlock with euro cylinder thumb turn  Key used for entry & thumb turn for exit	Mortice deadlock with euro cylinder key Key used for entry & exit

 

How do mortice deadlocks work?

Mortice deadlocks require manual locking from inside and outside. The turning of the key retracts or extends the bolt.

Pros & Cons

1. Pro: When locked, the bolt secures the door against burglar techniques such as drilling and picking.
2. Pro: Manual deadbolts with BS3621 certification are insurance compliant.
3. Con: Keys are required to manually lock and unlock every time the door is used. Most people are too busy to do this.  A burglar can tell within seconds whether you have locked your deadbolt by pushing the bottom of the door with their knee. 
4. Con: It is possible to lock someone inside.

Recommendation

If used correctly, manual deadbolts are highly secure although manual locking is inconvenient and easily overlooked. We recommend manual deadbolts with large lockguards as these give additional protection to the cylinder and act as a further visual deterrent to a burglar.  Shop Manual Deadbolt

3. Mortice Deadlocks - Automatic

A mortice automatic deadlock (also known as an automatic deadbolt) is recessed into the edge of front or back doors and is typically used in conjunction with a night latch.  The deadbolt automatically triggers when the door is closed.

 

How do morticed automatic deadbolts work?

A connected trigger & bolt action automatically deadbolts the door every time it is closed.  When the trigger makes contact with the strike plate in the door frame it throws the deadbolt to secure the door automatically.  When the door is unlocked, the deadbolt retracts and is held by an internal holdback that temporarily holds it in an unlocked position while the key is removed to open any other locks on the door.  The action of closing the door will retrigger the deadbolt automatically every time.

Pros & Cons

1. Pro: An automatic deadbolt is the most secure and convenient deadbolt. No need to manually deadbolt on every exit or entry.
2. Pro: The design of the ‘trigger & bolt’ mechanism is fail-safe: the bolt will never trigger prematurely.
3. Pro: The ‘internal holdback’ means that it is possible to fit two keyed-alike automatic deadbolts which can be opened with one hand using the same key – an ideal solution for busy urban areas.
4. Pro: The thumb turn allows keyless exit at all times.
5. Con: Automatic deadbolts are more expensive than manual mortice deadbolts.

Recommendation

An automatic deadbolt combines high security and convenience. Shop Automatic Deadbolt

4. Mortice Sash Deadlocks

A mortice sash deadlock (also known as a mortice sash deadbolt) is commonly on back doors and less frequently on front doors, fitted into the edge of the door.

Mortice sash deadlock  Key used for entry & exit	Mortice sash deadlock  Key used for entry & exit	Mortice deadlock Key used for entry & thumb turn for exit

How do mortice sash deadlocks work?

Sash fixtures include a handle to operate a doorway latch and a manual deadlock. The latch ensures the door stays closed even if it is not locked. Whilst the deadlock requires manual locking from inside and outside. Additionally, a euro cylinder thumb turn allows locking or unlocking without keys from the inside by turning the thumb turn knob. This allows keyless exit at all times.

Pros & Cons

1. Pro: Mortice sash deadlocks are popular door locks because they hold the door closed on the latch rather than requiring them to be locked just to hold the door closed.
2. Pro: Models with a thumb turn allows keyless exit at all times.
3. Con: People often misperceive the door is locked when in reality it is just shut. Most burglars are opportunists and it is common for them to test handles to see if the doors have been left unlocked.
4. Con: With deadlocks operated by a key from both the outside and inside, it is possible to lock someone inside, and homeowners are required to use keys to manually lock and unlock every time the door is used.

Recommendation

For convenience of use we recommend models with thumb turn for ease of exit.

5. Multipoint locks

A multipoint lock is commonly used for front and back doors, and patio or French doors made of uPVC, composite or aluminium. It is fitted into the body of the door frame at 3, 4, or 5 points.  Multipoint locks are typically fitted to new build homes rather than traditional homes.

How do multipoint locks work?

Multipoint locks are operated with keys from inside and outside. You should lift the handle and turn the key to lock the door at multiple points in the frame.

Pros & Cons

1. Pro: The door is secured at multiple points.
2. Pro: Only one cylinder to open and lock upon entry or exit.
3. Pro: It is easy to change the cylinder.
4. Con: For handled models, People often misperceive the door is locked when in reality it is just shut. Most burglars are opportunists and it is common for them to test handles to see if the doors have been left unlocked.
5. Con: Having only one cylinder means there is just one barrier for a burglar to get through
6. Con: Handled versions require manual locking and unlocking every time the door is used.
7. Con: Modern multi-locking on uPVC doors has been prone to cylinder snapping where an exposed cylinder is broken off. To mitigate this risk, choose an anti-snap cylinder.

Recommendation

For new build homes there are a range of multipoint locks available to suit your budget.  Shop Multipoint - New Build Home.  Aesthetically, multipoint locks are not suitable for older, more traditional homes – e.g. Victorian, Georgian, 1920’s eras.  If you have a traditional home but value the multilock action we recommend an automatic deadbolt lock assembly which gives multi lock effect with traditional looking locks. Shop Multipoint - For Traditional British Front Doors.